In his 2003
production for the Maggio Musicale in Florence, director Jonathan
Miller invested the complex relationships between the characters
with countless tiny erotic charges and even obvious sexual symbols.
The artistic director of the renowned Maggio Musicale festival
Zubin Mehta brings out not only the tension and drive of the music
but also its harmonic richness.

The singers
all belong to the international opera scene and not only provide
excellent vocal quality but also strong acting skills, which help
to tell the gripping story with its many disguises, mix-ups and
discoveries: Russian soprano Eteri Gvazava – internationally
recognised since her sensational Traviata à Paris filming
partnering José Cura - is wonderful to watch and to hear in
the role of the sad but contriving Countess Almaviva. Patrizia
Ciofi , the Italian belcanto star is Susanna with all her
intriguing acting skills and her pointed vocal intensity. Lucio
Gallo who plays the evil character in this plot is one of the
foremost Italian baritones. The title role is sung by Giorgio
Surian, a bass-baritone who started off on the Italian opera scene,
but has since made a steady career on international opera
stages.